The application of gradient saturation in unidimensional planar chromatography of polar lipids. Part 1: Presentation of the HPTLC system

A thermostated HPTLC system was assembled to test the influence of gradient chamber saturation upon resolution of polar lipids chromatographed on boric acid-impregnated silica gel plates. Inexpensive mixtures of nonacidic (14 component peaks) and acidic (8 component peaks) lipids were prepared from soya lecithin by a simplified procedure involving DEAE-Sephadex liquid column chromatography to monitor performance of the system using a readily available reference material. The system requires ca. 5 min chamber presaturation after which the polar lipids are chromatographed in less than 30 min. Retention times (t_R) as well as peak area % values of all component peaks and measured by scanning photodensitometry to demonstrate the influence of different modes of chamber saturation upon the resolution of polar lopids.